Give all the Love You Can

I recently met a woman who was born and raised in a not-so-prosperous part of Mexico. To her credit, she went to a state-funded university and earned a law degree.

Her career path led her to practice some form of immigration law. She didn’t like it. The other lawyers were conservative and competitive, judgmental of each other to the point that she felt she had to look a certain way, act a certain way. She tired of pushing papers around and longed for something more fulfilling.

A friend encouraged her to use what little discretionary income she had to buy a camera and pursue her love of photography. She did, and she’s tremendously talented. As of our meeting, she was taking a break from her professional photographic work to create a program voluntarily teaching her craft to persons with deafness. She had reached a point where she needed to go back to work to earn funds to keep the program going.

She had gained some insights that made her reconsider whether she would enjoy practicing law again–perhaps now being better able to distance herself from the pettiness she saw in other lawyers, and do her work with more genuine intention. Her words were: to give people who need help all the love you can.

She smiled when she learned I was a massage therapist/reflexologist, and commented that this is exactly what I get to do every day: give people love.

I don’t think she was motivated to return to law to make more money. I think she realized, in the newfound maturity that her 30s provided, that it’s best to do the work of our highest calling and greatest good. With compassion. With love. For her, maybe that will be photography, or maybe it will be practicing law but keeping her free program going for people with disabilities.

I feel blessed every day to have the opportunity to do work that is my highest calling and allows me to give people love. It’s so tremendously rewarding! What a blessing, too, to connect with this compassionate young woman on a seemingly random snorkeling adventure that she could scarcely afford, but went with a more affluent friend who just happened to be visiting for the weekend. Sometimes it takes a stranger to remind us of the gifts we might otherwise take for granted.

So whether it’s in your professional life, a hobby you feel passionate about sharing, or in meeting a stranger, I wholeheartedly encourage you to give all the love you can. I predict you’ll receive it back many times over!

Subscribe

Testimonials

Getting a massage from Julie Wesling at Holistic Massage Therapies is a thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable experience. I had suffered pain in my neck and shoulder for years but since getting regular massages from Julie my pain is reduced significantly. Plus, my stress level is way down. Thank you, Julie!